Added on 09/24/09 at 1:34 pm
Local Singer/Songwriter Gary Seiler
Local musical artist Gary Seiler wrote a poetic song about San Diego after Labor Day, which includes the refrain: “Beaches are empty, yeah. It’s good to be back home!” He sings of vanishing tourists and how special our home is this time of year, including its having the best weather of the season.
Weather is a natural flavor to partner with wine. If that is a difficult concept to grasp, think of a steaming cup of hot chocolate on the back porch after a long day of skiing in Mammoth. Now picture yourself with that same cup of cocoa at La Jolla Cove on a sunny September saturday! Read More
Added on 09/10/09 at 8:07 am
At 11 years old my grandfather taught me my first wine lesson.
Grandparents Day, celebrated each year on the first Sunday following Labor Day, provides a natural opportunity to relive a moment he authored which laid the foundation for what has become a passion and occupation.
A cold winter morning in 1983 outside of Longville, MN found much of the extended Stuart family preparing for a snowmobile outing over vast frozen lakes and through snow covered forest typical of Northern Minnesota.
In the early 1980’s, California wines were exploding in popularity. One representative of these new and well thought of producers was from Sonoma County, called Jordan Vineyard and Winery.
Jim Stuart, then grandfather of 11, had squirreled away a few cases of the burgeoning winery’s initial release, the 1976 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon. At the time, even esteemed wines such as this were not above making their way into the back of a snowmobile cubby to quaff at a trailside weenie roast.
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Added on 09/07/09 at 10:26 am
The wife and I loaded up the dogs and hit the road for a week or so, going through Colorado Springs, Kansas City, Linocln, and Denver. I’ll be back with some more wine goodies soon, but in the mean time…
Colorado Springs: Garden of the Gods
Tuesdays at the Colorado Sky Sox is Two-fer Tuesdays. $2 beers, $2 seats…even the really good ones! Oh yeah…don’t miss the Garden of the Gods park. It is shockingly beautiful. Small enough to get through the entire park easily and in less than an hour, but large enough to be spread out so people can have their own quiet space.
The Great Kansas City BBQ Debate: Gates, Arthur Bryant’s, Jack Stack, etc.
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Added on 08/31/09 at 3:29 pm
Alcohol’s affect on people is widely known, however it has a much greater purpose in a finished bottle of wine.
The body style or impression of fullness, the texture, and volume of aroma are all affected by the percentage of alcohol in a given wine. Also, because alcohol content is listed on the label of every bottle, it is easy to learn volumes about any wine when purchasing for a social gathering or when pairing with food. Read More
Added on 08/19/09 at 11:33 am
As a wine critic and judge I am often asked what makes great wine great.
First of all, the mere fact that someone enjoys a particular wine does not make it great. It means, and only means, that they like that particular wine. Let me explain with an analogy.
Money aside, one may appreciate the simple pleasure of a VW bus, but it is difficult to argue that a Bentley is not a superior vehicle. The same can be applied to a bottle of wine. Hordes of wine lovers flock to the accessibility of Charles Shaw, but given the opportunity they would jump at the chance to test drive a Chateau Margaux! Read More
Added on 08/13/09 at 3:53 pm
2006 Juan Gil, Jumilla Red Wine (photo by Karla Stuart)
A new leader in affordable high-quality wine is emerging from a familiar value-oriented country, but from an excitingly unfamiliar region.
Over the last decade, Spain has been known as a premier source of high-grade, low-cost wine. Jumilla, located in Spain’s extreme southeast, is emerging as the country’s newest region to produce wines that far exceed the prices they fetch, continuing the trend of Spain being the unequaled leader in this market.
Beginning late in the 20th century, Spanish regions such as Priorat and Rioja, under the direction of Spanish authorities, undertook Herculean efforts to modernize vineyards and wineries, allowing these areas to produce wines that now confidently stand alongside other renowned regions such as Bordeaux and the Napa Valley. But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. As these wines exploded in popularity, prices followed. Read More
Added on 08/09/09 at 6:36 am
Film Director John Hughes
In honor of the 2009 passing of the great movie producer John Hughes…
Mathew Broderick preached wisely to the audience in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, when he turned to the camera and preached, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Amid the current economic turmoil, these words may have more meaning today than when the movie was released. Hunkering down has its place, but so to does smelling the roses when they are in bloom.
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Added on 08/02/09 at 8:15 am
Mark Stuart judging at The Green Wine Competition
They share acute sensitivity, a grandfather’s patience and a spittoon the size of a 12-piece bucket from KFC.
Wine judges are a strange breed indeed. Who else would travel thousands of miles, usually for little or no money, just to sit in a fluorescent hotel conference room all day and spit out everything they put in their mouth?
Though certainly not a glamorous job, wine judges and the competitions they serve provide tangible benefits for wineries, retailers and consumers. Read More
Added on 07/26/09 at 8:20 am
Web sites exist for just about everything wine, including a Web site appropriately named www.everythingwine.ca.
Anyone who enjoys a little time in the easy chair with their favorite glass of vino will find this list of wine-related Web sites an invaluable resource to help further their enjoyment of the world’s greatest beverage.
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Added on 07/26/09 at 8:06 am
Kermit the Frog couldn’t have said it better when he sang the song “It’s Not Easy Being Green.”
Organic, and to a greater extent, biodynamic wines must go the extra mile in farming and winemaking to satisfy the rigorous standards set before them, often times at great expense. Even so, more wineries and vineyards are going green to capture a growing niche market of consumers who are looking for environmentally friendly products. And now with a new competition dedicated exclusively to earth-friendly wines, green wines are now winning gold.
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